Elliot F. Smith - 2017 Steel Intern Scholar
I was filled with gratitude to learn that I was a recipient of an AIST Steel Intern Scholarship. AIST and its local chapters award competitive scholarships, and I was honored to be one of those chosen by the foundation. The scholarship will ease the financial burden of books and school fees, and will allow me to jumpstart payments on my student loans. During the spring semester, I spoke with a few steel mills and ultimately took an offer from SSAB in Mobile, Ala. I was excited to learn from a team of experienced professionals about the heat treat process and the products that SSAB is capable of producing. During my internship, I have had the opportunity to be involved in trials that will help to expand the products SSAB can offer and increase throughput in the mill. These efforts allow SSAB to be more diverse in its product offerings and create a competitive edge in the specialty steel marketplace. One of SSAB’s core values is the “customer’s business in focus” and is aimed at working closely with customers to meet their needs. To demonstrate this value in my internship, I worked on specialized reports to ensure SSAB’s commitment to close partnerships with our customers. Through the use of software systems such as Minitab and MES, I learned about the products that we currently make while performing statistical analysis on our mechanical property performance. This scholarship has put me in a great position to develop my skills and make new contacts with a fantastic company and I am grateful for the opportunity.